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For Rody, it was a pipe dream to work for the king. The pay was too good for someone who was too poor to afford enough food to feed a family of three. Not to say something about the benefits, but those were also a pipe dream. The ultimate position for someone like him would be a knight. Serve a few decades, and you are set for life. Serve as one of the prince’s knights, serve a few years, and you are set for life. It was something he could only dream of being as he scraped by on the streets, trying his best to get his siblings what they needed.
Then he met the king and prince, probably at the worst possible time. He was in the middle of a 1 v 7 fight against some gang members he owed money to when they had all run away. When he turned, he was faced with the most terrifying and beautiful faces he had ever seen. To think that unfathomable situation had saved him and his siblings. Instead of being punished, he was given a chance. “Train at the palace and hone your true abilities,” the king, Toshinori Yagi, had told him, and he would be damned if he would let that opportunity go to waste. To the brunette, that was eons ago.
The sun had just descended over the grand castle as Rody walked back through the courtyard after a long day of patrolling the city with his fellow knights. He paused at the sound of wooden swords clashing, looking up to see the after-school knights club training their hardest. In fact, he spotted his brother amidst the crowd and smiled. Thanks to the king’s help, his siblings were able to start going to school, a special school reserved for the family of those that worked in the palace.
“They have a good brother.” a voice said from behind Rody, which caused them to turn around.
“Your Highness,” Rody stated with a smirk on his face as he bowed his head to the green-haired man he had come to know.
“Don’t start.” Izuku laughed before he looked out toward the training children. “They look at you like you are the whole world.”
Rody also looked at them, his smirk falling to a soft smile. “I don’t know about that, but they are my whole world,” he stated before returning to Izuku. “I doubt you came looking for me just to talk about my brother. Unless you plan to scout my brother as your next rival…” Rody covered his mouth like he was scandalized. “You already grow bored of me and seek my next of kin-”
“Shut up!” Izuku laughed at Rody’s theatrics and gave him a small shove.
“What can I help you with today, Prince Izuku?” Rody finally said formally, to which the other smiled.
“You and me, a sparring session in courtyard Beta.”
“Your Highness- are you sure you can handle another loss?” Rody snickered as the other bumped shoulders with him.
“I won’t be losing. I’ve been practicing.” Izuku stated with a smirk of his own, “Unless you’re scared of losing to someone you’ve beaten before…” he taunted. Rody laughed. He was such a bad influence on the prince.
“Ground Beta, you said?” Rody started walking with confidence he had earned from years of training, so much so that he had been chosen as one of ten guards for the prince.
"Yeah,” Izuku confirmed, falling into step beside Rody. "It's more secluded at this time of day. I thought it would be perfect for our spar." Izuku stated, to which Rody took a deep breath. Sparring sessions with Izuku always ignited a fire within him, fueled by their friendly rivalry and shared love for combat. He knew that training alongside the prince would push him to his limits and make him a better knight. After all, they were getting closer and closer to being on even footing ever since their first sparring session two years ago when he was first promoted.
Upon reaching the secluded Beta training grounds, Rody took a second to enjoy the sight before turning to look at the rack of wooden swords waiting for them. “Looks like you’ve been waiting for me for a while.” Rody hummed, amused, as he set aside his sword and grabbed a wooden one. Izuku followed suit, a smirk on his face that showed his own confidence in his abilities. Now Rody didn’t doubt he had improved, but Rody had been training longer and harder. There was no way the prince had caught up to him just yet.
“If I win, you take the next week of day shifts!” Izuku called from the other side of the courtyard.
“If I win, I get a favor,” Rody called back which was agreed upon by both. A week of day shifts would be intense. After all, that meant he would follow the prince around to all his daily activities rather than out walking and patrolling or even training the new recruits. Usually, people would jump at the opportunity, but for Rody, it was just a bunch of trouble. Whenever he was around, the prince’s teachers would also teach him as well, and that never went over well for him.
With that, they engaged in combat, their movements fluid and precise. Rody was impressed by Izuku's growth since their last encounter. Each attack Rody threw was parried and countered with surprising ease. The prince's training clearly paid off as he showcased new techniques and strategies. Wooden swords clashed with such force that chips went flying, one nearly smacking Rody in the eye. At this moment, Izuku took advantage and went on the attack.
Rody’s sword cracked and clattered to the ground in two pieces as Izuku disarmed him and then tackled him. He groaned as an ache rocketed through his back. Both men were coated in sweat and heaving breaths as the match was called. Rody couldn’t believe it. He had lost.
Izuku rolled off him and pumped his fists into the air. “I did it!” he cheered once his breath returned. There was a moment of silence as they looked at one another before Rody burst out laughing, followed by Izuku joining in. He sat up, stretching before looking over to see Izuku lying there looking at him. “What?” Rody asked as he went to stand up.
Before he could, Izuku’s hand shot out and grabbed him. As a result, Rody landed right on top of the prince, one hand on either side of the male’s head. “We’ve known each other for so long.” Izuku started as Rody felt his heart in his throat. “I’ve been around for how many birthdays?” he continued to which Rody couldn’t help but smile.
“A lot,” he answered, trying to sit up but finding an arm around his back keeping him down.
“Can I…kiss you?” Izuku asked all of a sudden, to which Rody was silent. His mind was racing far too quickly to find an answer. When an answer didn’t come, Izuku’s face almost looked dejected. “Is that-”
“Yes.” Rody finally said, his breath heavy as his heart couldn’t calm down. Rody leaned down a little, eyes squeezed shut and nerves causing him to shake slightly. Then lips came up to meet his own. The kiss was short but sweet. Obviously, Izuku was trying to respect how nervous he was. Rody opened his eyes, ears burning as he got the courage to speak again. “A..can we do that again?” he asked, to which Izuku simply smiled and leaned back up. This kiss was longer and even sweeter than the one before.
The sun had set below the palace walls, leaving them both in the shade of the quickly approaching night. “See you tomorrow morning?” Izuku asked in a hushed voice.
“Yeah…” Rody responded, breathless by the interaction.
Perhaps the next week wouldn’t be as troublesome as usual, and he wouldn’t mind more sparring sessions with His Highness. It would be good to spar with someone on equal footing.